


All Roads Lead Here

by SociallyAwkwardFox (Maze_Runner_Fae)



Series: YOI Week 2017 [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternatre Universe - Super Hero, Android Emil, Arranged Marriage Mentioned, Injury, Kidnapping, M/M, Manservant Emil, Parallel Universes, Parallels, Phoenix Michele, Pixie Emil, Prince Michele, Princess Sara - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze_Runner_Fae/pseuds/SociallyAwkwardFox
Summary: No matter the universe, the circumstance, or the species, they always end up together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Option A. I kind of took a different approach with it. Instead of doing parallels between the show and real life, I went with more of a parallel universes kind of thing. Enjoy!

1

His feet slid across the ice as he pushed lazily from one side of the rink to the other. The sound of his music playing through the small speaker he brought barely travelled around the entire rink. When he had shown up at the rink, he didn’t have any particular plan in mind. Things with Sara had been tense since the Rostelecom Cup and skating was the only way he knew to let his emotions out. It wasn’t easy to let his sister go after trying to protect her for so many years, but continuing to cling would ruin their relationship and the last thing he wanted was to end up the type of siblings that never talked to one another.

So, he escaped to the rink to give her space and him a place to think through what he planned to do next. Leaving their home might seem a little dramatic, but whenever he weighed the options it seemed like the best. Time apart would give Sara the distance she wanted to become her own person and he could figure out who he was outside of being a protective older brother and an ice skater. The thought of leaving Sara alone still worried him. He would always want to protect her from those who could hurt her, there was no stopping that, but he could see now that he was hurting her by keeping others away from her.

With a heavy sigh, Michele stretched out on the ice in the center of rink and stared blankly up at the lights above him. There was no way he could wait any longer to tell Sara if he was going to make the move before the next skating season. He would need to inform his coach of his decision, find a new rink to call home, a place to stay, pack his belongings. It would take time to get his new life in order and there was still the issue of where he would go. Staying in Italy would be nice, but he was free to go anywhere he wanted. If he really wanted to.

The sound of skates on the ice broke through the fog of his mind and pulled him out of the endless loop of uncertainty he had fallen into. He didn’t bother to look up at whoever had just joined him on the ice. It would either be his sister coming to bring him back or someone else wanting to spend time on the ice. They would let him know if he needed to move, otherwise they would leave him in peace. It wouldn’t be the first time someone found him here.

“You must be freezing.” Michele quickly sat up at the sound of a familiar voice that shouldn’t have been in Italy. “Want my jacket?”

“Emil, what are you doing here?”

“Last time we talked, you seemed a little stressed out. I thought you could use a friend.”

“Just a friend. Sara thinks-”

“What do you think?”

With Emil’s help, Michele stood up and accepted the jacket Emil held out to him. “I’ve been thinking of leaving to give Sara space. I have no idea where to go, but-”

“Come with me.”

“With you?”

“Yes. We can share my home rink. I’m sure my coach won’t mind and I certainly won’t.”

“Why?”

“I thought I was being pretty straight forward.” Emil slid a little closer so one of his skates was pushed between Michele’s. “I’ve been interested in you since the Rostelecom Cup.”

“Not Sara?”

“No. Never.”

“Oh.”

“What do you say?”

A wave of confusion ran through Michele, but he didn’t shy away when Emil placed his hands on his hips. “Say to what?”

“Come with me. If you really plan on leaving, come with me.”

“It would be impulsive of me to run away with you after you told me you liked me, just because you asked.”

“When was the last time you did something impulsive?”

Michele clicked his tongue thoughtfully and stared unseeingly over Emil’s shoulder as he tried to remember. He was never particularly impulsive as a child and he’d felt responsible for protecting Sara for so long, he didn’t have the time to focus on himself. Honestly, he couldn’t remember the last time he did something impulsive for himself. It might be time for him to step out of his comfort zone and take a leap. It could end up ruining him or he could find happiness.

“Where should I send my things?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll help you pack, after we have dinner.”

“When did I agree to that?”

“The second you put on my jacket. It’s a binding contract.” Emil looped his around through Michele’s and guided them off the ice. “What do you feel like having?”

“I know a place. If you’re feeling adventurous.”

“Definitely. Very adventurous.”

2

Emil looked up from the armor he was cleaning at the sound of the prince and princess coming into the room. The two weren’t often seen apart, but the two had been at odds recently and the fact they weren’t yelling at each other was comforting. The prince had been unusually stubborn and callous the past couple of day because of their feud. Several of the servants had taken to almost running in the opposite direction whenever he showed his face and it had been unanimously decided that Emil would be the only one serving him until he became more reasonable again.

Of course, he didn’t mind being the only one to serve him. Typically, he was the one who spent the most time around him in the first place, but there was only so much he could do in one day. Even though many jokingly referred to him as a machine, he was still human and had his limits. Limits that had been tested for the past four days. Maybe he would actually get to have a good night’s sleep tonight.

“Emil, hard at work as always I see.” With a practiced ease, Emil placed everything aside and stood so he could give a little bow to the princess. “There’s no need for that. I’ve known you since we were children. We’re practically family.”

When the princess sent a pointed look at her brother, he returned it with a little glare and walked stiffly across the room. His eyes flitted over Emil’s work like they always did (he had long ago learned to trust his manservant’s quality) and let out his typical approving hum. The moment he took a step closer to Emil so he could look over the weapons he had laid out, his sister let out a noise that made his face turn bright red. A mix of anger and embarrassment filled his eyes, then they quickly returned to a more neutral expression.

“Don’t you have plans to spend the day with Princess Mila. Surely you should get going. You wouldn’t want to be late.”

“I have time. Plus, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“Lovely.” The prince clinched his fists at his side, then started grabbing for his armor, completely ignoring Emil when he tried to inform the prince he hadn’t finished with it quite yet. “Suppose that means you’ll be watching me practice.”

“Certainly. It’ll give me the chance to catch up with Emil.”

“He’ll be too busy helping to spend time chatting.”

“Wouldn’t one of the princes be more interesting, then someone who has not trained his whole life to fight. No offense.” She inclined her head to Emil and returned the smile he sent her way before she continued. “I’ve heard Prince Victor is quite accomplished and his younger brother shows much promise. Worthy opponents for a simple sparring match, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’re backing me into a corner.”

“How so? I simply want you to get the best experience possible.”

“With no ulterior motives.”

“Naturally.”

Prince Michele huffed angrily, but it was obvious to the other occupants of the room that he was conceding to his sister’s point. Another angry huff left his mouth as he struggled with getting his armor tightened properly on his own. After trying a few more times to do it by himself, he sighed heavily and looked to Emil for help. He stepped closer to the prince and quickly finished tightening his armor, then immediately put space between them again.

Before the prince could thank him, his sister looped her arm through Emil’s and began marching them to the practice area. For a split second, he thought he heard the prince scrambling to catch up with them. The princess letting out a soft chuckle made him think he wasn’t imagining things, but she pulled his attention away too quickly for him to be positive.

“Don’t be bothered if he acts grumpy. Our parents dropped some unpleasant news on him recently. He hasn’t been handling it well.”

“I wasn’t aware.”

“I’m not surprised. He’s in denial and talking to you would mean acknowledging it.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

The princess laughed and pulled him down onto one of the benches in the practice viewing area. “I apologize for being vague. I want my brother to be happy, more than anything, but our parents are forcing his hand and he’s not ready to do what needs to be done himself. The only problem is he’ll end up unhappy if he doesn’t do something.”

“Pardon me, but is that why the two of you have been fighting? I don’t want to intrude-”

“You’re not. I already told you. You’re like family. Yes, it’s why we’ve been fighting. I’ve been pushing him to speak up and he’s been insisting he can’t.”

“What exactly have your parents been pressuring him to do?”

“Marry, naturally. He’s of age now and most of the princes in the neighboring countries were either married by his age or engaged to be married once their promised came of age. Take the princes for example.” Princess Sara inclined her head toward the two princes now practicing with Prince Michele. “Prince Victor became engaged to Prince Yuuri when he was sixteen and married as soon as Prince Yuuri came of age. Prince Yuri and Prince Otabek have been engaged since he was ten and Prince Otabek thirteen. They’ll be married soon enough. Our parents believe Mickey needs to marry soon for the sake of our country’s reputation. They’re not picky about who he chooses, but they become more insistent every passing day.”

“You’ll fear he’ll end up in a loveless marriage?”

“I fear he’ll regret his indecision and miss the chance to live truly happy with the one he loves.”

“I did not realize the prince was in love.”

The princess smirked as she rose from her seated position. “It would not make sense if you did. I would have trusted you to do something by now if you had. I must take my leave now. Good luck.”

Emil stared at Princess Sara’s retreating back as he slowly processed the exact words that had come out of her mouth. The conclusion he reached was the same every time, but he could not comprehend how it could possibly be true. He was not royalty and the prince had never looked at him in a way that would make him think he was interested in his own manservant. It was possible the princess was misinformed, but she had spoken with such confidence. He was not sure what to think.

“Did she tell you?” Emil nearly jumped at the sounded of the prince’s voice so close, but mostly fought down his instincts. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. She informed me of your parent’s desire for you to marry. I’m sorry to hear it is weighing on you so heavily.”

“That’s all she said?”

“She mentioned something else, but I’m sure I misunderstood.”

“Unlikely. Sara does not often leave things up for interpretation. She has made it very clear how idiotic she believes I am acting. Perhaps she has a point.”

The mix of emotions in the prince’s eyes made a wave of courage rush through Emil as he rose to his feet. “I have found it is best to heed the advice of others when you find yourself warring with indecision.”

“Wise words. Having such counsel would be invaluable as a king. My father often says my mother’s advice helps him keep his head on straight during times of destress, but it is her mere presence that grants him pure happiness. It is what I have always dreamed of having.”

“And have you found it?”

“I believe so. I can only hope he feels the same.”

“He does.”

3

His skin felt ice cold. It was incredibly unnatural and he couldn’t stop squirming against the bonds wrapped around his hands and ankles. If his temperature dropped too low, his heart would stop beating and there would be no regeneration. His goblin hunter capturers either weren’t aware of this fact or were unconcerned by it. Neither boded well for him and his increasingly diminishing strength. He could have easily burned through the rope bonds earlier, but he had been unconscious at the time and by the time he woke it was too late.

Helplessly, he watched as the leader of the small gang grabbed one of their other prisoners and dragged them off to what was probably their death. Goblins were known to eat some of their less valuable captures whenever they ran out of whatever it was they normally ate. Being a phoenix, Michele was one of the rarest and most highly sought after species on the face of the planet. Normally he wouldn’t have been caught so easily, but he had been trying to protect his sister at the time and they caught him by surprise while his back was turned.

It had been a relief to find that his sister was not among the other prisoners when he had awoken from whatever drug-induced sleep he’d been forced into. That didn’t make it any less terrifying for him, but it was one less thing for him to worry about as they drew closer to their destination. He could only imagine what horrors would befall him once they arrived. He had heard many a tale of wings being plucked for feathers, then cut off so the phoenix would die and be reborn with new feathers.

Most would consider it a fate worse than death and Michele was inclined to agree with them, especially when he potentially faced such a circumstance. He struggled a little harder against his bonds, but they didn’t budge in the slightest. There wasn’t any hope of escaping without someone else’s intervention, not that it was likely to happen. This part of the woods was rarely travelled by creatures with good intentions.

As if trying to prove him wrong, he felt the rope around his wrists loosening, followed by something light running down his leg. He stayed perfectly still while whoever it was eased the tension out of the rope around his ankles, then glanced down for a split second. They looked to be some sort of Fae, possibly a faerie or pixie, but Michele didn’t know enough about Fae to be sure. Whoever it was placed their finger on their lips, then flew off so quickly Michele could hardly see them.

It didn’t take him long to figure out what they were doing. The screams of the goblins filled the air for a few minutes, then everything went disturbingly silent. With a bit of uncertainty, Michele began wiggling out of the rope around his wrists and let out a relieved sigh when they finally fell off. He immediately reached for the rope around his feet and let out another sigh when those dropped away. When he looked up to inspect the camp, he found the Fae standing over him with a little smile on his face.

“Do you need any help?”

“You’ve done more than enough.” Michele wobbled to his feet and wrapped his arms tightly around his own waist to better preserve what little heat he had left. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Your skin says otherwise. I’ve never seen a phoenix so pale before.”

“I simply need to warm up a bit.”

“Here.”

In the Fae’s hand was a small ball of blue fire that turned a vibrant mix of orange and red the moment it touched Michele’s skin. He felt the warmth seep down into his bones and ignite the fire that typically warmed his body. The glow of his skin steadily returned, until his skin was bright orange instead of pale white. He let the glow continue for a few moments, enjoying the return of his fire, then let it calm down so his skin looked a more human color. There was still a faint glow under his tanned skin, but hardly anyone would notice from a distance.

“Thank you. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

The Fae took a step closer, making his taller stature blatantly obvious. “There’s no need. We pixies may be mischievous, but we don’t condone kidnapping for such a nefarious purpose. I can think of one thing you might do for me, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Of course, anything. You most likely saved me from a lifetime of unimaginable pain.”

“A name. Your name.”

“Oh, I’m Michele.”

“Emil.” The pixie held out his hand and smiled a little wider when Michele took it in his own. “Pleasure to meet you. I would have preferred better circumstances, but I’ll take what I can get. You probably need to return home to your family. Would you mind if I accompanied you?”

“I’m sure for my protection.”

“If that’s what you wish.”

“I’d wish for you to be honest with me.”

“Then I can honestly say, I’d enjoy whatever time I could have with you. I find you intriguing.”

“Is that all you find me?”

Emil smiled and, somehow, stepped even close to him. “Not in the slightest, but it’s what draws my attention to you. I’ve seen plenty of beautiful beings in my lifetime, but never any that could hold my interest.”

“Should I be honored?”

“No, I should be.”

4

Emil tugged at the exposed wire in his wrist, then let it go when it caused an unpleasant pull on one of the other wires. He knew it wasn’t one of the more important wires keeping his wrist functioning, but its presence outside his body was becoming cumbersome. When it caught on an enemy earlier, it nearly caused his wrist to become non-functional. He had hoped he would be able to fix the simple exposure himself, but he no longer had the tools required to do it.

With no other possible solution, Emil headed to the infirmary for the first time since he joined with his new crew. Their infirmary was much larger and more advanced than the ones he had aboard his previous ships. There was also a much larger staff and despite his advanced coding, he found himself uncertain as to how to proceed. Most infirmaries had a reception area where an attendant stayed to keep things organized, but he saw no such area and everyone in the room appeared to be busy with something.

He considered returning at a later time, but one of the doctors caught his eye before he could make it out the door. The man put down the chart in his hand, then crossed the room quickly and stood in front of Emil. His eyes quickly glanced over Emil’s body, most likely trying to figure out what ailed him, then looked the android straight in the eyes.

“I’m Dr. Crispino. What brings you to the med bay?”

Emil held up his wrist for the doctor to inspect. “It’s not an important wire, but it nearly ripped out some of the other circuitry when it got caught earlier. I thought it best to get it repaired. I can return later if you have more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Don’t bother. This is any easy fix. I can have you fixed up in a matter of minutes. You can take a seat at any of the empty tables. I need to grab a few things, then I’ll be right with you.”

The android took a seat on the closest table, then let his eyes wander around the room so he could get a better feel for it. There were only a few other patients in the room and none of them appeared to be in any sort of pain or discomfort. They were all being treated with the utmost care by their doctor and didn’t appear uncomfortable like most humans did when in an infirmary. It was quite a different experience from what he was used to, but it made things much more pleasurable than normal.

“Do you need anything to numb the area?”

“No, thank you. My system would clear it too fast for it to be effective.”

Dr. Crispino wrinkled his eyebrows together as he set to work on fixing Emil’s wrist. “But you still feel pain?”

“Yes.”

“That’s horrible.”

“An understandable oversight. My creator wished me to experience things as closely to humans as possible. He did not take into account me becoming an exploring unit that receives injuries.”

“You haven’t looked into getting it fixed?”

“It’s a small flaw. It does not impair my judgement or functionality. I like to think it makes me more human.”

“To feel pain is human.”

“I thought to err is human.”

The professional mask the doctor wore broke for the briefest of moments, then he cleared his throat and dove back into his work. “It is. I’m sure you’ve learned that by now. Is there anything else you need fixed while you’re here?”

“No, but there is something you may assist me with. I sometimes find myself unclear on some human things and I’m sure you will provide an honest answer.”

“Ask away.”

“I have noticed a pattern. Human’s tend to spend the evening together when they find the other desirable. They enjoy a meal together or engage in an activity they both enjoy. Must these things be done in the evening to be considered romantic or might they be done at any time as long as the intent is there?”

“Some might think having dates in the evenings is more romantic, but I don’t think it should matter. Spending time with someone you care about is what’s important, not the time of day.”

“Fascinating, then perhaps you would like to have lunch with me. I would invite you to dinner, but I must work on the bridge this evening.” Emil watched as a light blush dusted over the doctor’s cheeks and he kept his gaze pointed down, despite the fact he finished his work. “It is not an obligation. You could say no. I understand why I would not be desirable for a human.”

“That’s not it. It would be unprofessional for me to date you. You’re my patient.”

“Everyone on this ship is your patient, that does not mean you don’t deserve to be happy.”

“Your creator did a great job on you. I’ve met a lot of android, but they’ve never been this human. I didn’t even realize until you showed me your wrist.”

The blush that had been playing along the doctor’s features had ebbed and he was now looking at Emil’s face instead of his wrist. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes and you can call me Mickey. Dr. Crispino would be odd.”

“I agree, Mickey.”

5

Michele pulled open another portal and ran through it without bothering to see what he would be running into. Surely whatever it was, was better than what he was currently running from. He could feel blood slowly seeping out of a rip in his side from one of The King’s robots getting in a lucky swipe. It wouldn’t have been a problem if there were only a few of them, but he had been incredibly outnumbered and no one was close enough to help.

Beating a hasty retreat through one of his portals had been the best option, but doing it so recklessly wasn’t his best decision. Normally he had great control over where it would take him, being injured always made things more difficult. He could end up in the middle of traffic or in someone’s shower while they were in there or a different part of the compound he was in. His sister would be furious when she found out. If she found out.

The portal closed immediately behind him, slicing through whatever had been close enough on his heels to get stuck halfway through. Metal hit the ground with a loud clang that echoed off the walls of what looked to be some sort of alley. Michele barely had a chance to get his bearings before he was slamming into something warm and unmistakeably human. Both Michele and whoever he ran into, fell to the ground in a messy pile of limbs and bruises.

“Are you hurt?”

“Just a second.” Michele tried to push himself into a sitting position, but his side twinged too painfully for him to keep going and he fell back down to the other man’s chest. “I might need a little longer.”

“Let me help.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

The kindness in the other man’s tone had Michele looking up to inspect just who it was he ran into by accident. His face was covered by a midnight blue cowl and he was covered from head to toe in body armor. It wasn’t a hero that Michele was familiar with and it was possible that they were actually a villain, but villains typically jumped straight into monologuing. They rarely offered to help a bleeding person.

“Do you have a safe house nearby?”

“Yes and it’s stocked. I can help with your injury.”

“Thanks. I’ll need your help up.”

“Let me.”

Before Michele could say anything, the other man shifted him into a bridal carry and stood up with perfect balance. On instinct, Michele wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and held on tightly even though the man didn’t seem to be struggling to carry him. He placed his other hand over his bleeding side to keep the wind from making it sting and to stem any blood that was still flowing. The blood made his hand sticky and warm, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. It wasn’t a life-threatening injury.

“Where am I?”

“Czech Republic. Prague to be exact. Where are you from?”

Michele laughed, then immediately regretted it when it made his side pull painfully. “That obvious?”

“You came out of a portal. You could be from anywhere.”

“Italy, but I was in Canada at the time.”

“Was someone with you?”

“No. We split up to cover more ground. I just happened to be the one to find him. It didn’t go so well.”

“Don’t worry.” The man pulled open a door and descended a small flight of stairs into a basement that looked to be stocked with medical equipment. “I can stitch that up. Will you be able to get back to your people or will you need to borrow a phone?”

“My sister will know where I am if she gets worried. She’ll tell the others.”

“Handy. You’re welcome to stay the night. I promise it’s safe.”

“I bet. It looks like you have a good setup here. Do you work with anyone?”

“No. There’s not a lot of large crime here, so it’s not a difficult job for one person.”

“It still must be lonely.”

“Sometimes, but I don’t mind.”

Even though it wasn’t something he would normally do, Michele didn’t fight the urge to remove his mask and hold his hand out to the other man. “Michele, but my sister calls me Mickey. I don’t mind either.”

“Emil.” The man pulled his cowl off his head and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Would you mind?”

“Of course, but I’ll need you to do something for me afterwards.”

Michele hissed at the feeling of a needle poking into his side, but immediately began to feel relief as the pain in his side slowly disappeared. “What do you need?”

“I’m thinking dinner and maybe a movie. If you’re feeling up to it.”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes.”

“While stitching me up?”

“You can’t run away if I’m stitching you up.”

“I wouldn’t run away.” The feeling of string being pulled tight made him wince, despite the fact he couldn’t feel any pain. “That would be childish.”

“So, what’s your answer?”

“Yes, but if it goes poorly. I’m blaming the drugs.”

“I only numbed your side. Do you need pain medication? I can get you some.”

“No, I’m fine. Where are we going?”

“I have an apartment upstairs. I can order us something and you can get comfortable on the couch.”

“Sounds perfect. Lead the way.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked it! Next one will be up tomorrow!


End file.
